System for preventing texting while driving and offering usage-based insurance benefits

Abstract

What is disclosed is a system and method for preventing texting while driving and offering usage-based rewards. The system comprises a phone holder mounted within a vehicle and an application running on the driver's smartphone. A control circuit of the phone holder is configured to detect the smartphone in the holder, detect vehicle motion. An NFC tag on the holder also launches the smartphone application. Depending on measured parameters and determinations made by the “smart” holder and smartphone application, usage data is recorded by the control circuit and/or smartphone. The in-vehicle system is also configured to connect to a cloud-based server for storing vehicle and phone usage data and calculating usage-based rewards, such as insurance benefits for plan members. The system can also include an electronic notification device affixed to the rear windshield of the vehicle and that is selectively switched on to indicate active use of the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for preventing unsafe usage of a smartphone by a driver while the driver is operating a vehicle and providing usage-based benefits, the apparatus comprising:
 an application enabled on the driver's smartphone, the application comprising instructions in the form of code that are executable by the smartphone; 
 a smartphone holder arranged to be mounted inside the vehicle, the holder including:
 a body configured to receive and support the smartphone during normal operation of the vehicle; 
 a mount connected to the body, wherein the mount is adapted to attach the body to an interior surface of the vehicle such that a screen of the smartphone being supported by the body is facing the driver of the vehicle; 
 
 an NFC tag provided within the body, wherein the NFC tag is programmed to launch an instance of the application enabled on the smartphone, and wherein the application enabled on the smartphone is configured to launch upon communication with the NFC tag; 
 a control circuit disposed within the body, the control circuit comprising:
 a processor, 
 a computer-readable storage medium accessible by the processor, 
 a communication interface in electronic communication with the processor, 
 a sensor for detecting the presence of the smartphone resting on the body, the sensor being in electronic communication with the processor, and 
 instructions stored in the storage medium and executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:
 determine, based on a signal output by a sensor, whether the smartphone is resting against the body of the phone dock, and 
 
 
 wherein, one or more of the application enabled smartphone and the processor of the control circuit are configured to record usage data including information relating to operation of the vehicle and any usage of the smartphone during vehicle operation, wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining whether the phone is resting against the body of the phone dock. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , the control circuit further comprising:
 a control circuit disposed within the body, the control circuit comprising:
 an accelerometer in electronic communication with the processor, and 
 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:
 determine, from a signal output by the accelerometer, whether the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of a prescribed threshold, 
 wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining whether the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of a prescribed threshold; and 
 
 
 a cloud-based server device in communication with the application enabled smartphone, wherein server computing device is configured to receive the usage data from the smartphone, and wherein the cloud based server computing device is configured to calculate, based on the received usage data, usage-based rewards for the driver or an owner of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor for detecting the presence of the smartphone resting on the body is one of a pressure sensor, a strain gauge and a photoelectric sensor. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit processor is configured to be communicatively coupled with an on-board computer of the vehicle via the communication interface, and wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of the prescribed threshold based on information received from the on-board computer, and wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining whether the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of a prescribed threshold. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base and mount are joined by a pivot mechanism configured to allow the base to pivot relative to the mount. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pivot mechanism comprises a ball joint having a limited range of rotational motion about a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: an electronic seal arranged to be affixed to an interior surface of a rear window of the vehicle, wherein the seal comprises:
 an LED light being electronically controlled by a controller, wherein the controller is in wireless electronic communication with the control circuit of the smartphone holder, and wherein the controller is configured to selectively illuminate the LED light in response to a wireless signal received from the holder control circuit or smartphone application. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the controller of the seal and the processor of the smartphone holder are configured to exchange identification information and, wherein the controller illuminates the LED light in response to validation of the exchanged identification information by one or more of the processor of the holder and the controller of the electronic seal. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein upon launch of the application responsive to the NFC tag, the application configures the smartphone to wirelessly transmit identification information to the control circuit; and
 wherein the instructions further configure the processor of the control circuit to:
 receive identification information from the smartphone via the wireless communication interface, and 
 determine, based on the identification information and information identifying entitled drivers stored in the storage medium, whether the smartphone is associated with a driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle; and 
 wherein the usage data is recorded as a function of the determination that the smartphone is associated with a driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises adjustable side rails extending in a direction of a back-wall of the base and configured to extend along a left and right side of the smartphone when placed in the holder, and wherein the adjustable side rails are arranged to resist the smartphone sliding off of the base. 
     
     
       11. A method for preventing unsafe usage of a smartphone by a driver while the driver is operating a vehicle and providing usage-based benefits, the method comprising:
 providing an application enabled on the driver's smartphone, the application comprising instructions in the form of code that are executable by the smartphone; 
 providing a smartphone holder arranged to be mounted inside the vehicle, the holder including:
 a body configured to receive and support the smartphone during normal operation of the vehicle; 
 an NFC tag provided within the body, wherein the NFC tag is programmed to launch the application enabled on the smartphone; 
 a control circuit disposed within the body, the control circuit comprising:
 a processor, 
 a computer-readable storage medium accessible by the processor, 
 a communication interface in electronic communication with the processor, 
 a sensor for detecting the presence of the smartphone resting on the body, the sensor being in electronic communication with the processor, and 
 instructions stored in the storage medium and executable by the processor, 
 
 
 determining, by the processor using the sensor, whether the smartphone is resting against the body of the phone dock; 
 causing, by the NFC tag, the application enabled on the smartphone to launch in response to communication with the NFC tag; 
 recording, by one or more of the application enabled smartphone and the processor of the control circuit, usage data including information relating to operation of the vehicle and any usage of the smartphone during vehicle operation, wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining whether the phone is resting against the body of the phone dock. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor from the smartphone executing the application over a wireless communication interface, identification information concerning the smartphone; 
 determining, with the processor based on the received identification information and information identifying entitled drivers stored in the storage medium, whether the smartphone is associated with a driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle, wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining whether the smartphone is associated with the driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle; 
 calculating, based on the usage data, usage-based rewards for the driver or an owner of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining, by the processor of the control circuit, whether the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of a prescribed threshold and wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining that the vehicle is moving at the speed in excess of the prescribed threshold; and 
 transmitting, by the smartphone application, the usage data to a cloud-based server device, wherein the cloud-based server computing device is configured to calculate the usage-based rewards based on the received usage data. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the processor to an electronic seal arranged to be affixed to a rear window of the vehicle, a wireless signal configured to cause the LED light of the electronic seal to illuminate, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted as function of determining whether the smartphone is associated with a driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle, determining whether the phone is resting against the body of the phone dock and determining whether the vehicle is moving at the speed in excess of the prescribed threshold. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 wherein the control circuit processor is configured to be communicatively coupled with an on-board computer of the vehicle via the communication interface, and 
 determining, by the processor, that the vehicle is moving at a speed in excess of a prescribed threshold based on information received from the on-board computer, and wherein the recording of usage-data is performed as a function of determining that the vehicle is moving at the speed in excess of the prescribed threshold. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor from the smartphone executing the application over a wireless communication interface, identification information concerning the smartphone; 
 determining, with the processor based on the received identification information and information identifying entitled drivers stored in the storage medium, whether the smartphone is associated with a driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle; and 
 wherein the usage data is recorded as a function of determining whether the smartphone is associated with the driver that is entitled to drive the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is one or more of a pressure sensor and a photoelectric sensor. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the holder further comprises a mount connected to the body, wherein the mount is adapted to attach to an interior surface of the vehicle and wherein the base and mount are joined by a pivot mechanism configured to allow the base to pivot relative to the mount with a limited range of motion.